Fely Elizarde (second from right) mother of Mga Kuwento host Tasha Elizarde, dancing at an event for Christmas held by Filipino Community, Inc. in Juneau, along with other elders Unknown date. (Photo from Tasha Elizarde)


Tasha Elizarde was a child who listened to her mother’s greetings in Tagalog and practice Tinikling during community events, and walking through the streets of downtown and spotting food vendors serving lumpia and adobo.


While it may sound similar to it, she didn’t get her start somewhere in the Philippines. Her home is nearly 6000 miles away, in a town called Juneau, Alaska.


How did she and many other Filipinos get to build an apartment in this tiny part in the U.S.?


A century prior to when Elizarde began her life, Juneau started growing into an enviable city for immigrants arriving from all across all over the Philippine islands. Today, she’s only one of the thousands of Filipinos who live here.

In the premiere installment of Mga Kuwento Mga Kuwento, we look at two of the central issues of the show How did Filipinos arrive at Juneau and more important how do they decide to stay?

Mga Kuwento Host, Executive Producer Tasha Elizarde takes us on the journey that her family, along with many others, have traveled to achieve financial security and a home that they call home.

Lope Elizarde is the father of Mga Kuwento host Tasha Elizarde, dances along with her mother Fely Elizarde at his home from childhood in the Phillipines Date unknown. Elizardes still reside in this home, which is where a lot of them stayed as the family first moved into Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Tasha Elizarde)